Cody,
Please send me some photos off list.
I'm going to throw out a few ideas, which is a dangerous thing to do without
first seeing the pictures.
First, this form sounds very much like typical antebellum structures here in
Alabama, only we didn't use bois arc (osage orange). Not surprising,
because Texas is where our antebellum settlers were obtaining their osage
orange saplings / seeds, so they didn't have big trees that early, or at
least not many. (I think bois arc is a native to Texas & maybe part of
Arkansas, right?)
In Alabama, our structures sat either on brick piers or on "swamp oak" or
cedar blocks (a big piece that resembled a cut stump).
About the sloped floor: Here, our two room cottages (or two room with
central hall) often have a porch attached to them in back, and often part
of that porch is enclosed to make a 3rd room. It is a shed room, sometimes
called a "parson's cabinet" because that's where they kept the circuit
riding preacher when he appeared on their doorstep. Since the porch sloped
to the outside, so rain would run off, then this enclosed part of the porch
might have a sloped floor also.
But you are saying that the slope runs across two rooms, so I suppose we can
rule that idea out.
Also, what I am finding here in Alabama is that these brick piers or wood
blocks seem to have been placed immediately on the ground surface. They
didn't dig down to subsoil to create a solid footing. So, if North Texas is
prairie, then there would be a lot of movement in that soil so that natural
shifting could have created a slope that wasn't originally there right after
construction.
And here's another thought: are you sure the structure is frame, and not a
log cabin just covered later by clapboards?
Linda Derry
Site Director
Old Cahawba
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701
ph. 334/875-2529
fax. 334/877-4253
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-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cody
Davis
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2012 3:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Bois d'Arc Log Foundation
We are currently conducting excavations at a farmstead site here in North
Texas around a structure constructed around 1870. The structure associated
with this farmstead, was an ell-shaped 3 room house. It utilized bois
d'archalf notched logs as the beams for the foundation, and each log was
held at the corners with a wood pin through the notches. the logs rest on
bois d'arcpiers, and it has a sandstone rock chimney, that was repaired in
the early 20th century with brick and eventually phased out for a gas stove.
Resting perpendicular to the logs, were joists that were nailed with
square-cut nails to the logs. Then tongue and grove floorboards were nailed
to the joists with square-cut nails. The structure itself was frame. As of
right now we are aware of a second structure that utilized a similar
foundation nearby, however they seem to be fairly unique. We were wondering
if anyone else has encountered this type of foundation before or maybe able
to look as some photos and provide insight.
We also had some general questions that pertain to this type foundation, we
were hoping some might have some insight on.
Would a frame house sitting on the above described foundation expected to
have a level foundation? This foundation drops 10 cm from the NE corner of
one room to the SE corner of the adjacent room. We have some ideas and
additional questions, and we would be happy to share some photos in a pdf,
off list with anyone who might have some insight into some of the questions
we have about the foundation. Thanks.
--
Cody S. Davis, RPA
Project Manager
AR Consultants, Inc.
805 Business Parkway
Richardson, TX 75081
214.368.0478 (office)
214.221.1519 (fax)
www.arc-digs.com
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